Laura Valle, a Tokay High graduate who has experience working at the Velvet Grill, greets customers with a friendly smile and works quickly to fill orders.

We started with the panino di pollo, which was filled with thick slices of carved chicken, fresh pieces of basil, sun-dried tomato, and a special tangy sauce.

One problem with panini is that the sandwich can be hot on the outside and cold in the very center.

Not these.

The slices of chicken were heated up on the grill and both sides of the Dutch crunch roll were toasted before the sandwich was put together and pressed.

At $6.50, it was good and filling, but the sauce - resembling a creamy Thousand Island dressing - made it a five-napkin meal.

Next time, we'll ask for the sauces on the side to keep the sandwiches from getting soggy on the ride back to the office.

A chicken and spinach crepe, $6.50, is a popular choice on the menu, and includes a melted mix of fresh spinach, grilled chicken, a little bit of mozzarella and that special orange sauce.

A sharper cheese such as Swiss might give this crepe more flavor, which was lacking, but it was very filling.

The roast beef, $6.50, was almost like a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. It had medium rare slices of roast beef, melted mozzarella cheese, grilled bell peppers, onions and a sauce.

The hungry guy who sampled this sandwich said it was good but needed a sturdier bun to absorb the sauce.

A chipotle turkey club, $6.50, was a big hit. The chipotle sauce had just the right amount of heat to make this sandwich spicy. A generous amount of turkey and bacon along with lettuce, tomato and mozzarella cheese made this hearty sandwich enough to share. It was served on ciabatta bread, which we preferred to the other rolls.

Salads, we noticed, are huge and fill up a whole to-go container.

As we waited for our order, we heard thumping music coming from the Jazzercise class taking place next door.